


shadowing

by spacebubble



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: (or Developing Frenemyships in a sense), (we'll get there. you'll see.), (you already saw in Disco s1 presumably but you will further see), Awkward Conversations, Developing Friendships, Gen, Kelpiens (Star Trek), Party, Pre-Canon, Slice of Life, Some Humor, USS Shenzhou (Star Trek)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 19:17:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18835033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebubble/pseuds/spacebubble
Summary: Pre-canon. Michael attends her first party on the U.S.S. Shenzhou, and Saru's happy to see her - at first.





	shadowing

At first, Saru thinks nothing of Michael's presence at the party. 

"Ah, Michael!" He looks up from the selection at the hor d'ouevres table, Kelpien body attuned as ever to any new additions to his surroundings. Even in the midst of the chaotic noise of the party, he sensed her arrival immediately. 

"Lieutenant." Michael acknowledges him with her customary stoic tone. Behind her, a peal of uproarious laughter rings through the air, but if Michael's noticed it, she gives no indication.

"I see you've changed your mind."

Michael tilts her head slightly, Vulcan-style haircut gently swaying with the movement. "The Captain said it is customary to attend the occasional social function."

"Ah, yes." Saru smiles, remembering how Captain Georgiou encouraged him to attend parties at the Academy every once in a while. He gestures to the table's colorful array of treats. "Please, no need to wait for me to finish. Grab a plate."

"I have already eaten my meal for the evening."

"Have you, now?" Saru glances back at the table, where a particularly enticing tray of berries beckons at him. "I don't recall seeing you in the mess hall earlier."

"Our metabolisms likely function at different rates." Michael looks at the plate in his hand, already laden with a small pile of fruits. "Fruits are low in fiber. You will likely feel hungry again within a short while."

"Oh." Saru blinks. "I... suppose that does tend to be the case." 

Silence falls as Michael stares at him with a somewhat unnerving focus. 

Saru looks away first. "Better get more, then." 

He spoons a couple scoops of berries onto his plate, waiting for Michael to speak up again, but she seems disinclined to chat any further. She simply watches him. 

The feeling of being watched, of being singled out and targeted, sends prickles up Saru's spine. It's not a strong enough apprehension to make his ganglia emerge, but it's certainly distracting.

"Well." Saru clicks in what he hopes isn't too tetchy a tone. (Not that humans are typically able to discern such things, but with a prodigy like Michael, one could never know.) "If you'll excuse me, Michael, I believe I have a few more _low-fiber_ additions to make to my plate..." 

He diverts his attention back to the table, moving further along to the next set of trays, putting some distance between them.

And yet, almost perfectly in sync with him, the sound of Michael's footsteps follow. 

Confused, Saru looks back at her. "I thought you didn't want anything to eat."

"I don't."

"Oh," Saru says, unsure what to do with Michael's continued presence. 

He waits for an explanation as he fills up his plate, but no explanation comes. 

Michael simply remains by his side, watching him in silence.

Finally, they've reached the end of the table. Saru's plate is full. Michael still shows no inclination to leave. 

All around them, the party continues apace. 

"Perhaps I could make an introduction?" Saru suggests, desperately scanning the room for someone, anyone who might be able to take over this disturbingly prolonged social interaction. "Oh, there's Lieutenant Detmer!" 

Michael turns to follow his line of sight.

Off to the side of the room, Lt. Detmer chats away with several other women - her usual kadis-kot group, Saru remembers.

"Do you play kadis-kot at all?"

Michael looks back at him blankly.

"Kadis-kot," Saru repeats. "It's a game... I suppose there isn't much in the way of games on Vulcan?"

"No."

"Ah."

A beat. "I will research kadis-kot after the party."

"Or you could ask Lt. Detmer," Saru replies with a flash of inspiration. "Right now, in fact."

Michael's eyes widen slightly. She looks over at the group in the distance, as poised as ever, yet Saru senses a sharp fluctuation in her endocrine system. "Now?"

For some reason, Saru feels guilty.

He clicks, then doubles down on his enthusiasm. 

"Yes!" Saru tells her. "There's nothing like the present, and now is the _perfect_ time to inquire." He gestures towards Detmer with his plate. "Go on."

Michael looks back up at him, a faint furrow in her brow. 

The tilt of her head, the aura of anxiety, reminds him of -

_Siranna?_

His sister.

Strange. He's usually pleased to be reminded of Siranna.

Why wasn't he pleased now?

Why did he feel guilty instead?

"You'll make the introduction," Michael states. The clashing undertones of her voice convey a question more than a statement. Uncertainty. Perhaps reassuring herself.

"Yes, of course," Saru replies, as politely as ever. He would make the introduction, then go circulate, then replenish his snack plate, then socialize until he could no longer bear it (typically for the duration of the second plateful), then return to his quarters. The perfect party plan. 

Though Michael's expression doesn't change, her voice seems more relaxed. "Very well, then. Let's proceed."

 

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for yet another WIP but i needed to publish this lest it languish in my google drive draft purgatory. parties are no easy feat for either michael or saru (or myself), so there's plenty of material to draw upon imo. the guilt will eventually prompt me to continue!


End file.
